Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-12
YELLOWSTONE PARK.
Some OF the Beauties of the Reservation
in Winter.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Record, who has recently done" the
Yellowstone National Park on snowshoes,
gives vivid description OF the wonders OF
the region Wequote Before crossed the
boundary line and entered the great National
Reservation, / found the weather exceed
ingly cold and the snow unusually deep.
The former was averaging daily and nightly
about $50 below zero, while the latter ran
all the wav from fifteen inches to three feet
in depth. Inside the Park matters were
somewhat of different order. The snow
was deeper, if anything, but the temper
AZURE of the country, particularly about
the geyser basins, was fully two-score de-
grees milder than outside the limits. At
the Mammoth Hot Springs one might al
most imagine himself in fairyland. The
beautiful terraces, 50 wondrously lovely
under a summer sun, were here, in mid
winter. perfectly magnificent and awe
inspiring beyond all conception.
1.-The frost in the air gave to the volumes
of steam rising from acres of hot water an
effect that can only be realized by behold
ing, and not even family understood by
imagination. Great clouds of vapor hover
in the sky and darkcn the sunlight which
seems to everlastingly shine in this region
of wonders. | noted one curious fact of
which have seen 10 mention in the books
of the scientists Among these hundreds
of boiling and bubbling hot springs is Il
large and wondrously hot lake called Bath.
This sheet of water is situated among the
variegated- colored terraces, and is about 400
feet in diameter, with no visible outlet. 1t is
circular in form and when seen at distance
the water is deep sea-green. The bottom
is lined with velvety moss, which is
lovely orange at the bottom, and fades
away into a creamy white toward the edge
The lake gradually deepens from six inches
at the margin TO six feet at the center, and
is inclosed by two horizontal terraces in
the shape of the letter V. These terraces
rise twenty feet above Bath Lake, and are
neither more nor less than hot-water aque-
ducts, but the interior of the pair
is something marvellous, and likely to
eclipse the famed underground highways
of the celebrated Mammoo Cave. They
are hollow, shell-like cavities, in some
places over fifty feet wide and the same
number in depth, and run distance of
about 1000 yards. Although seemingly
dead, the continual moisture of theinterior
together with the action of sulphur and
calcareous matter on the inside, has rem
dered them perfectly splendid with color
and sublimely beautiful in effect. Not
stalactites, but billions of needle-points,
tipped with sparkling diamonds that emit
all hues, greet the visitor to-day, and Will
no doubt greet him for ages TO come, as they
have done for the Bannock Indians for ages
past. The temperature of the atmosphere
half a mile from the Springs a few days be-
fore Christmas was close to the zero notch.
| walked from this frigid zone over to the
terraces, and found myself in the tenn
perate zone at once. The average round
about the Mammoth Springs at the same
time was between 600 and zoe above zero.
On the shores of Bath Lake l found it 95o
Fahrenheit, and in the center, where the
water was bubbling in great gaseous glob-
uies, the temperature was 1450 above zero.
ITO 90 from one extreme 10 the other II
is only necessary to pass from Bath Lake
to the Golden Gate, four miles away. The
latter is four miles south of the springs,
and found the temperature there TO be
30 be ow zero, but Golden Gate has an al
titude of 5000 feet above the sea, and is,
besides, situated in deep mountain-rent,
where the roads wind along the base of the
Giant Sheepeater Cliffs. Norris Geyser
Basin appeared for all the world like tre-
mendous manufacturing city, with its
thousands of spindles at work. The count
less Jets of steam shooting into the air, with
an occasional geyser bursting or spouting
upward, filed me with awe and wonder.
| have seen every geyser, spring and mud
pot IN this basin dozens of times, yet |
never thought it possible that winter could
so change the aspect of the scene.
1.-The volume of steam is ten times
greater than in the summer months, and
then the awful quiet and solemnity OF the
scene made this Basin seem alive with life,
instead of being dead and dying. as it is.
| The Norris Basin is certainly the Oldest in
| the Park, yet in the hight of the season it
| is all hustle, life and confusion. | have
been on the spot when you couldn't hear
your ears for the noise of vehicles, braying
of mules and shouting of tourists, but
| here on this occasion, after travelling for
miles through snow from three to four feet
deep, and through country filled with
wild. scampering game animals. CAME
upon dead city, filled with noise and
activity, and yet no living creature
or thing within radius of many
miles of the spot. The clear, frosty atmo
| sphere rendered the transmission of sound
! exceedingly distinct. and that is why the
boiling and babbling of the underground
caldrons could be heard so plainly. AL
though l had Just left a region Of snow, in
| and around the Norris geyser basin / found
| no signs of snow at all.